White Rim Jamboree
WHITE RIM ROAD BIKEPACKING SUPPORT // CANYONLANDS
Nights out: 2 Miles driven: 440 Soundtrack: angine de poitrine — volume II
into the unknown
New suspension, new wheels, new tires, and one quick desert loop through Eagle Canyon to see what the Bronco felt like before trusting it farther from home.
Day 1
Lots of unknowns for this trip. My neighbor Josh has a way of bringing folks together. He hosted the first official White Rim Jamboree and had a full house. 15 folks from around the country came out to meet new folks, ride bikes, see the Utah desert, and share an authentic experience.
My first unknown was if I could even pedal the 100 miles. I’m not Mr. Fitness. That unknown was answered quickly. Things got Oregon Trail at my house last week, and I got a hefty case of pneumonia. So I wouldn’t be pedaling the 100 miles. But that wasn’t going to stop me from spending a few nights outside. So I loaded up the truck and hit the road. Sag wagon, here we come.
We landed at camp to find a cooler of cold beverages and smashburgers sizzling on the Blackstone. Right from the beginning, Tumbleweed, our camp host, pampered us. Then the rest of the group started showing up with the weirdest bikes I’d seen in my life — bar ends, bags, 26” wheels, no gears, and huge water bottles strapped to downtubes. Their camp setups were just as strange. Cut-in-half Z pads laid straight on the dirt, and a tiny, glorified trash bag they called a bivy. That was it. I had a rooftop tent and Starlink. Felt like cheating.
As the evening wore down and the stars rose, we argued whether the bright dot by the moon was Venus or Uranus.
Day 2
The weather was bright, crisp, and damn near perfect. Folks got quiet, double-checked gear, and calmed the nerves. So many variables. The entire group dropped off the canyon rim down the Schafer Switchbacks. Off we went. Morale was high as we navigated the twists and turns of the canyon.
We spent the day driving, exploring, and doing our best to stay hydrated, drinking plenty of Modelo and High Life. We ran into the chillest park ranger I'd ever met, who gave Tumbleweed shit for thinking he could drive the white rim in his Chevy Express passenger van.
For how big a chunk we bit off on the first day, it was rather uneventful — apart from running over my GoPro. I think we had all been tricked by the scale of this place, though. “Just around the next bend” is very misleading in a place as big as Canyonlands. We finally arrived at camp and ate soup straight from the can. We sat around the fire, tired, telling stupid stories.
Day 3
Only 40 miles left, but little did we know they’d be the long miles. We kicked off the day with world-class breakfast burritos, instant coffee sipped from those same soup cans from the night before, and enough spliffs to kill a horse. Then we hit the road.
The bikes took off, and the trucks followed. Tumbleweed radioed me, saying he had something clunking under his van. Was the ranger right? Sure enough, as he pulled up, I could see his broken axle hanging below the front bumper. We had a lot of driving and the hardest hill climb up ahead. More unknown, more anxiety. After strapping the axle out of the way and relegating the van to 2WD, we headed toward Hardscrabble Hill. We both started up the first few switchbacks without much drama. We turned a corner, and Tumbleweed got stuck on a fairly benign climb. There was no way he’d make it in 2WD. I hooked him up to my bumper and started dragging.
My little 4-cylinder engine groaned and struggled to tow his 8,000lb van over the rocks and ledges. Then we saw the actual hill climb littered with rocks, ledges, and tight turns — we knew we were hosed. Tumbleweed called for a tow and hunkered down in the desert until help could get there. He had plenty of beer and leftover burritos to get him through the night.
I followed the riders to the finish line, celebrated, aired up, and hit the road home. I had plenty of time to reflect on the unknowns that were now known.
A FEW PRACTICAL NOTES FROM THE WHITE RIM ROAD TRIP
-
Yes, support vehicles are common on White Rim Road trips, especially for bikepacking groups. You still need the right permits, a capable vehicle, enough fuel and water, and a realistic plan for remote desert travel.
-
White Rim Road can be done in a long single day , but trips usually take multiple days depending on fitness, weather, campsite permits, and how much time you want to spend staring at rocks like they owe you money.
-
Yes. White Rim Road is inside Canyonlands National Park, and permits are required for overnight trips. Day-use rules and availability can change, so check current Canyonlands requirements before planning the route.
-
It depends on what kind of trip you want. Riding White Rim makes the scale of the place feel huge and earned. Driving support lets you carry gear, help the group, cover miles, and still experience the route without turning every climb into a personal trial.
Keep Wandering
More Canyonlands dirt: Captain EHAB
More Bronco setup notes: The Rig
More Utah desert camping: Buckhorn Draw
